Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In middle school centers the full-time aap kids are segregated into full time aap only classes
Non center middle school they mix with the kids who choose honors.
It does seem to be mostly the same thing....but with the segregation....

Anyone understand why they are separated in MS? If Honors and AAP are the same, why not mix??

Haven't been able to figure it out yet, same teachers, same Schoology folders, same teaching materials and homework and tests...

It is not the same material or tests at our school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In middle school centers the full-time aap kids are segregated into full time aap only classes
Non center middle school they mix with the kids who choose honors.
It does seem to be mostly the same thing....but with the segregation....

Anyone understand why they are separated in MS? If Honors and AAP are the same, why not mix??

Because there not the same, regardless of what a lot of people want to believe. My kid in AAP at Carson completed projects and read an extra book that his friends in Honors did not do.

Honors is open to all students who want to take honors classes. There are kids who are better suited to regular classes who are in honors classes because the regular classes tend to be too slow and there are too many students in them that are disruptive. I know kids who asked to move into honors and earned C's and B-s instead of the A in the regular class because the regular classes were too slow and too disruptive. These are kids at Carson and then SLHS. The teacher for Honors is teaching kids who are a better fit for the regular class, if it was taught at the level it should be taught at, and honors students. The class has a far wider spread of abilities and needs. The AAP classes, regardless of how the kids got into them, has far more kids who belong in honors so the teachers can teach the honors level material and potentially offer extensions to the students.

There are 100% some honors classes that are on par with the AAP classes but there are plenty that cannot offer the same material. It is more of a mixed bag.

There are schools that don't offer AAP classes, because they don't have enough AAP students to offer specialized sections. Normally this is because more of the AAP kids choose the Center over the base school. Because the classes are mixed, parents will choose to send their kid to the Center. These tend to be the schools were 7th graders in Algebra 1 end up in class with 8th graders and there might not be enough kids to handle a Geometry class in 8th grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In middle school centers the full-time aap kids are segregated into full time aap only classes
Non center middle school they mix with the kids who choose honors.
It does seem to be mostly the same thing....but with the segregation....

Anyone understand why they are separated in MS? If Honors and AAP are the same, why not mix??

Haven't been able to figure it out yet, same teachers, same Schoology folders, same teaching materials and homework and tests...

Anonymous wrote:In middle school centers the full-time aap kids are segregated into full time aap only classes
Non center middle school they mix with the kids who choose honors.
It does seem to be mostly the same thing....but with the segregation....

Anyone understand why they are separated in MS? If Honors and AAP are the same, why not mix??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have 3 kids, all in AAP. It really doesn’t matter that much by high school. The only slight difference may be the friend group in middle school. If your kid is in the AAp track, they will only be in classes with other AAP kids. By high school, anyone can pick honor or AP classes.

Just apply for Level IV AAP for your older child.

Who you're in class with can make all the difference. I think it's too late to apply for Level IV

Honestly the caliber of students in honors and full time aap in middle school are not that different. If anything, I tend to think that honors might be the better place to be because all of the kids there chose to be there and had to earn the grades/ scores to be there. Whereas, the full time aap group has kids who were prepped in/ decided by mommy and daddy, and they don't all want to be there. We've heard anecdotally some group project horror stories from the aap group that doesn't seem to happen in honors. Also, by middle school they realize that they don't have to just be friends with the kids in their class or with who mommy and daddy decide for them.
The years where it makes the biggest difference is while the groups are segregated in elementary school... because the younger kids tend to make closer bonds with the kids in their class, the aap parents seem to think that their kids need to be fully immersed in their cohort, the future honors but non full time aap kids don't get tracked honors/ not honors and have to endure classes with some really disruptive kids who don't want to be there/ don't want to learn. It's a long 4 years! But, if you're not at a center school and you are getting principal placed you might be getting the best of both worlds

Don’t worry. It doesn’t make much difference. Many of our AAP kids aren’t even maintaining high enough grades in MS to be in NJHS. Several cheat on tests by toggling over to the internet or Gmail their friends. It’s not like it’s some genius cohort. Plus, they will be scrambled in HS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can both your kids be in AAP and you are this clueless?

What would i have to pay attention to? They're in the same classes with the same people every year. They bring home report cards with all 4s. They test very well. They go to school and don't have issues. It wasn't until picking classes for middle school that we noticed some kids were picking honors and some were aap.

You would have known that you could have applied for LIV services for your oldest and have options in MS. You would have known that your son could choose to attend a Center and been in a class with all LIV selected kids. You wouldn’t be asking these questions now because you would have had the information to make informed choices 3 years ago.

That's my point. I wasn't ignoring communication. My husband and I have heard nothing. There was nothing ever mentioned in parent teacher meetings either. I didn't know only certain aap kids stayed in aap in ms. I just assumed they all did since they've been moving through ES together.

But hey, at least I get text messages twice a week from fcps telling me to check my email about skyview. "The boundary tool is back online."

When your child is in level two, you get a letter at the end of the year every year saying that they qualify for level two services the following year. When your child is in level four, there is no communication. They’re just automatically staying in AAP. you never question why one child got a letter and the other didn’t.

How are you so sure I got a letter? We don't get letters from the school. I did check my email history and found 1 email about an aap meeting from 2024 and another in 2026 buried at the bottom of a newsletter. That's it.

I think the confusion was from day 1 when we received an email that our eldest was selected for AAP. We didn't have to do anything. It wasn't just one subject, it was full-time AAP (apparently level 2). There are kids in that class that come in for Math only, but he's not one of them...

The following year we didn't hear from the school, so we asked. They told us to fill out an application, submit work, get a referral etc.. They ended up being accepted into AAP. I guess we figured that because our eldest was simply selected and our youngest had to jump through hurdles, they were the same. I wouldn't have guessed my youngest would be in a higher level 1) because of the process 2) because of their aptitude

The school might give you a condescending attitude and shame you that you should have known this or that, but I encourage you to be brave and follow up anyway. Truly, there are differences with how each FCPS school manages things and they do make mistakes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can both your kids be in AAP and you are this clueless?

What would i have to pay attention to? They're in the same classes with the same people every year. They bring home report cards with all 4s. They test very well. They go to school and don't have issues. It wasn't until picking classes for middle school that we noticed some kids were picking honors and some were aap.

You would have known that you could have applied for LIV services for your oldest and have options in MS. You would have known that your son could choose to attend a Center and been in a class with all LIV selected kids. You wouldn’t be asking these questions now because you would have had the information to make informed choices 3 years ago.

That's my point. I wasn't ignoring communication. My husband and I have heard nothing. There was nothing ever mentioned in parent teacher meetings either. I didn't know only certain aap kids stayed in aap in ms. I just assumed they all did since they've been moving through ES together.

But hey, at least I get text messages twice a week from fcps telling me to check my email about skyview. "The boundary tool is back online."

When your child is in level two, you get a letter at the end of the year every year saying that they qualify for level two services the following year. When your child is in level four, there is no communication. They’re just automatically staying in AAP. you never question why one child got a letter and the other didn’t.

How are you so sure I got a letter? We don't get letters from the school. I did check my email history and found 1 email about an aap meeting from 2024 and another in 2026 buried at the bottom of a newsletter. That's it.

I think the confusion was from day 1 when we received an email that our eldest was selected for AAP. We didn't have to do anything. It wasn't just one subject, it was full-time AAP (apparently level 2). There are kids in that class that come in for Math only, but he's not one of them...

The following year we didn't hear from the school, so we asked. They told us to fill out an application, submit work, get a referral etc.. They ended up being accepted into AAP. I guess we figured that because our eldest was simply selected and our youngest had to jump through hurdles, they were the same. I wouldn't have guessed my youngest would be in a higher level 1) because of the process 2) because of their aptitude

It sounds like your oldest was principal placed in level IV, which does not carry through to middle school, and in elementary is contingent on space in the level IV AAP classroom. They definitely confused ppl by now calling all levels AAP. level IV used to be the only level referred to as full-time AAP.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can both your kids be in AAP and you are this clueless?

What would i have to pay attention to? They're in the same classes with the same people every year. They bring home report cards with all 4s. They test very well. They go to school and don't have issues. It wasn't until picking classes for middle school that we noticed some kids were picking honors and some were aap.

You would have known that you could have applied for LIV services for your oldest and have options in MS. You would have known that your son could choose to attend a Center and been in a class with all LIV selected kids. You wouldn’t be asking these questions now because you would have had the information to make informed choices 3 years ago.

That's my point. I wasn't ignoring communication. My husband and I have heard nothing. There was nothing ever mentioned in parent teacher meetings either. I didn't know only certain aap kids stayed in aap in ms. I just assumed they all did since they've been moving through ES together.

But hey, at least I get text messages twice a week from fcps telling me to check my email about skyview. "The boundary tool is back online."

When your child is in level two, you get a letter at the end of the year every year saying that they qualify for level two services the following year. When your child is in level four, there is no communication. They’re just automatically staying in AAP. you never question why one child got a letter and the other didn’t.

How are you so sure I got a letter? We don't get letters from the school. I did check my email history and found 1 email about an aap meeting from 2024 and another in 2026 buried at the bottom of a newsletter. That's it.

I think the confusion was from day 1 when we received an email that our eldest was selected for AAP. We didn't have to do anything. It wasn't just one subject, it was full-time AAP (apparently level 2). There are kids in that class that come in for Math only, but he's not one of them...

The following year we didn't hear from the school, so we asked. They told us to fill out an application, submit work, get a referral etc.. They ended up being accepted into AAP. I guess we figured that because our eldest was simply selected and our youngest had to jump through hurdles, they were the same. I wouldn't have guessed my youngest would be in a higher level 1) because of the process 2) because of their aptitude

It sounds like your oldest was principal placed in level IV, which does not carry through to middle school, and in elementary is contingent on space in the level IV AAP classroom. They definitely confused ppl by now calling all levels AAP. level IV used to be the only level referred to as full-time AAP.

Anonymous wrote:I have 3 kids, all in AAP. It really doesn’t matter that much by high school. The only slight difference may be the friend group in middle school. If your kid is in the AAp track, they will only be in classes with other AAP kids. By high school, anyone can pick honor or AP classes.

Just apply for Level IV AAP for your older child.

Who you're in class with can make all the difference. I think it's too late to apply for Level IV

I have 3 kids, all in AAP. It really doesn’t matter that much by high school. The only slight difference may be the friend group in middle school. If your kid is in the AAp track, they will only be in classes with other AAP kids. By high school, anyone can pick honor or AP classes.

Just apply for Level IV AAP for your older child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can both your kids be in AAP and you are this clueless?

What would i have to pay attention to? They're in the same classes with the same people every year. They bring home report cards with all 4s. They test very well. They go to school and don't have issues. It wasn't until picking classes for middle school that we noticed some kids were picking honors and some were aap.

You would have known that you could have applied for LIV services for your oldest and have options in MS. You would have known that your son could choose to attend a Center and been in a class with all LIV selected kids. You wouldn’t be asking these questions now because you would have had the information to make informed choices 3 years ago.

That's my point. I wasn't ignoring communication. My husband and I have heard nothing. There was nothing ever mentioned in parent teacher meetings either. I didn't know only certain aap kids stayed in aap in ms. I just assumed they all did since they've been moving through ES together.

But hey, at least I get text messages twice a week from fcps telling me to check my email about skyview. "The boundary tool is back online."

When your child is in level two, you get a letter at the end of the year every year saying that they qualify for level two services the following year. When your child is in level four, there is no communication. They’re just automatically staying in AAP. you never question why one child got a letter and the other didn’t.

How are you so sure I got a letter? We don't get letters from the school. I did check my email history and found 1 email about an aap meeting from 2024 and another in 2026 buried at the bottom of a newsletter. That's it.

I think the confusion was from day 1 when we received an email that our eldest was selected for AAP. We didn't have to do anything. It wasn't just one subject, it was full-time AAP (apparently level 2). There are kids in that class that come in for Math only, but he's not one of them...

The following year we didn't hear from the school, so we asked. They told us to fill out an application, submit work, get a referral etc.. They ended up being accepted into AAP. I guess we figured that because our eldest was simply selected and our youngest had to jump through hurdles, they were the same. I wouldn't have guessed my youngest would be in a higher level 1) because of the process 2) because of their aptitude

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They email about the AAP meetings every year. They send home communication in folders.

maybe your school does

+1 My school buried the AAP info session date at the bottom of a long email about other upcoming events and most people missed it.

Your younger child is able to take Algebra 1 honors next year because they changed the criteria. Last year’s 5th graders had to have certain scores to be eligible to take Algebra in 6th - which is sounds like your daughter did not meet. But this year’s 5th graders do not have the same requirements. The only requirement now is that the 5th grader is taking math 5 advanced and passes the math 6 SOL. They do not need to be in full time AAP and they do not need to meet any other score requirements. It’s just different criteria.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How can both your kids be in AAP and you are this clueless?

What would i have to pay attention to? They're in the same classes with the same people every year. They bring home report cards with all 4s. They test very well. They go to school and don't have issues. It wasn't until picking classes for middle school that we noticed some kids were picking honors and some were aap.

You would have known that you could have applied for LIV services for your oldest and have options in MS. You would have known that your son could choose to attend a Center and been in a class with all LIV selected kids. You wouldn’t be asking these questions now because you would have had the information to make informed choices 3 years ago.

That's my point. I wasn't ignoring communication. My husband and I have heard nothing. There was nothing ever mentioned in parent teacher meetings either. I didn't know only certain aap kids stayed in aap in ms. I just assumed they all did since they've been moving through ES together.

But hey, at least I get text messages twice a week from fcps telling me to check my email about skyview. "The boundary tool is back online."

When your child is in level two, you get a letter at the end of the year every year saying that they qualify for level two services the following year. When your child is in level four, there is no communication. They’re just automatically staying in AAP. you never question why one child got a letter and the other didn’t.